


In This Cold Limbo, I Finally Found You (A Solace For My Heart)

by Finnoola



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Demon Hunters, Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Blood and Violence, Demon Hunter!Changbin, Demon Hunters, Heavy Angst, Human!Jeongin, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Slow Burn, demon!Jisung
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:27:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27231202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Finnoola/pseuds/Finnoola
Summary: In a world where demons are persecuted just for being demons, demon hunter Seo Changbin struggles with his job and morals. As he finds himself struggling to do what he believes to be right and what he needs to do in order to survive, he meets a demon who flips both of their worlds upside down.
Relationships: Han Jisung | Han/Seo Changbin, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Comments: 12
Kudos: 58





	1. The Hunter With a Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [milkymoonseung](https://archiveofourown.org/users/milkymoonseung/gifts).



> hello hello hello!!! its me, finn!!! 
> 
> welcome to my new fic, made in collaboration with the lovely win aka milkymoonseung. (pls do go show her some love, as this fic would have never been born if it wasn't for her amazing mind and imagination!!)
> 
> this fic will be a multichap fic, and most likely will be longer than Milky Way Tears. It will also be a little more angsty than Milky Way Tears, so buckle up for some serious heartbreak and slowburn!
> 
> if you're new here, hello! welcome to one of my fics!! pls leave a comment or kudo, they really make a writer's day! If you're a regular, well, you probably know what to expect from me, don't ya? ;)
> 
> have fun!

_ Demons and humans have lived together since the dawn of the Earth, the creation of Adam and Eve. At first, demons and humans lived almost in harmony. There were very few incidents where demons and humans did not get along. Yet, despite that, the growing tensions between them could not be ignored. Demons, with their many unique abilities, were soon accused of being witches, as time went on, and humans became more weary of those who were not like them.  _

_ Slowly, but surely, the humans succumbed to fear and hate, and through the period of the 15th century, many demons were burned at the stake in Europe. In the 1600s, amidst The Spanish Inquisition, the Salem Witch Trials had just begun.  _

_ In between 1692 and 1693, demons, accused of being witches, were murdered by human hands. This small incident in Massachusetts, soon brought a new blaze of hate that coursed throughout the country, and soon, the world. When The Spanish Inquisition ended in the year 1834, a new order was made to counter what was thought of as the “demon threat”. _

_ The Imperatum, a coalition made by the world’s governments, boasting of the atrocities of demons and their kin, soon went on a hunt for the demons. They spread their acidic rhetoric, that no matter the demon, their age, their race, their gender, should be shown no mercy. For they were demons, and demons were evil, and therefore, they had no right to live. _

_ And so began the descent of hate, for the mighty human race...  _

  
  


Changbin huffs, as he walks through the streets. The air is brisk, cold and unforgiving. It is winter, gray snow lining the curbs and streets, the mucky black slush sprayed over the concrete. Salt residue smears itself over the vehicles as he walks down the street. 

People stare as he walks past, some children even hold awe in their eyes. He feels disgust worm its way up his throat. His face remains passive, despite the ever present shame and guilt choking up his chest. 

Quickly, he arrives at his destination, and ducks into the aging stone building. Changbin swipes his card through the card reader, walking through the turnstile as he does so. Many people walked through the building, the great stone monolith bustling with life. They all wear similar attire to him, ranks and badges denoting their status on their left breast and upper arms. He walks quickly to his destination, thankfully snagging an elevator with very few people in it. 

Changbin sighs, eyes staring dutifully ahead as he presses the button for the floor he needs. He shuffles back a bit, keeping a wide berth from his coworkers. Out of the corner of his eye he can see a new recruit, a cadet, and a mentor. The mentor looks him over briefly, before his lip curls in disgust before leaning over to whisper to the cadet. 

“Be wary of him,” The man whispers to the cadet, who looks at Changbin and the mentor questioningly, “Heard he tried to defend a demon once, it would be best if you stayed away from people like him.”

The cadet’s eyes go wide, before turning her head to the front. Changbin bites his lip, hand grasping the strap of his backpack. He straightens up a bit, ducking through the elevator doors when it lands on his floor. His walk is brisk as he carefully maneuvers down the crowded hallway. 

The Imperatum headquarters all over the world were old school stone buildings, and the majority of the building was underground. At least 20 levels, some of which were barracks, training grounds and common rooms for the demon hunters, were built below the surface. Changbin was currently on the 15th level farthest from the surface, the ward for his unit. He ignores the looks his fellow hunters give him, ones of scorn and disgust, of hate and loathing. 

He hears the whispers, the scorn in their voices as he passes them by in the hallway, the long form of his black coat flapping behind him. Changbin wishes it didn’t bother him, he hates how their words bother him, as if he can’t help being a little bit more, empathetic. He shakes his head before entering his superior officers’ office. 

Changbin stands at attention in front of the stern man’s desk. The older man doesn’t even look up from where he's signing papers, and replying to emails. 

Colonel Kim Jaesuk is a horrible boss, and an even more horrible man. But who is one to stand up to a man whose family has been hunting demons since the 1600s?

Changbin doesn’t even dare breath in his presence or blink. Knowing that this man could make his life even more miserable than it already was. After a few tense moments, Colonel Kim puts his pen down and picks up a folder on the left most corner of his desk. He doesn’t even look at Changbin when he slaps it down closer to the edge, already returning to his tasks. Changbin’s eyes flicker downward, before flickering upwards again. 

“What’s the matter, hunter?” Colonel Kim says, licking his finger and turning a page over on his desk. “Does the prospect of hunting demons scare you?” 

Changbin’s jaw clenches at the baiting, knowing that if he let his emotion get in the way, there would be far more precious things at stake than his petty feelings.

With a slight intake of breath he answers. “No, sir.”

“Good,” Colonel Kim says, eyes studying his laptop screen intently, “We have reports of a demon living in this sector, I want you to go investigate. If there is no demon, then you may return, but if there is, you have every duty to execute it.”

The nonchalant way that the last sentence rolls off of Colonel Kim’s tongue freezes the blood in Changbin’s veins, like taking life was as easy as taking a stroll in the park. But this was a man who killed his first demon at 15, so who was Changbin to doubt the morality of this man anymore than he already has?

Changbin nods, before saluting Colonel Kim. “Understood, sir.”

“You are dismissed, hunter.” Colonel Kim says, not looking up at Changbin who takes the folder from the desk and turns on his heel out of the office. 

The further he gets away from Colonel Kim’s office, the better he feels. He doesn’t feel great, but he doesn’t feel as if he’s going to be sent to the guillotine, anymore. Changbin pushes a hand through his silver hair, heading straight for the elevator again. He can’t stay in the building any longer than he already has, as the atmosphere just makes it harder to even do his job. 

So he travels to the surface again, the folder tucked into his backpack as he exits the elevator into the dim light of the day. 

Changbin sits in the quiet corner of a mostly empty cafe. He has his laptop open on the table in front of him, the folder open as well. The demon had been supposedly seen in the area for the past few months, no reason for the certain appearances. They were sporadic, one never connecting to the last spot it was sighted in. 

A waitress appears at the corner of the table, wrenching Changbin’s attention away from his work. She smiles politely, setting a coffee cup and muffin down onto the table. Changbin offers her a small smile, as he thanks her quietly. The woman bows slightly before turning on her heel and walking back to the counter. 

Changbin takes a sip of his coffee, before returning to the notes. 

It was theorized, with how good it was at hiding, that it was either a level W or B demon. Level W demons were like humans, but had white eyes. They had the basics of demonic powers, like telekinesis, shapeshifting, and teleportation, but were mostly weaker than other classes of demon. Level B demons, on the other hand, were much more powerful. B demons had midnight blue eyes, and were said to have descended from the greater demons, in the first Holy War. Despite that, there was much less information on them than Level W demons, and Level R demons. 

Changbin swore under his breath, cursing Colonel Kim. He’d had rather the demon be a Level R, than a W or B. Level R demons were easier for him to dispatch, there was less of an inner battle with himself when it was a R demon. He bit his lip, forcing him to read further. The demon was said to live in a small commercial area, full of little shops and stores. 

He wrinkled his eyebrows, wondering how a demon was spotted in such a busy place? Had the demon been here for a while, and something has caused it to come out of hiding? It wasn’t odd for demons to pick highly populated areas to hide out in the human world. There was less of a chance of them being discovered if they could blend in with other humans. 

So, how did this demon get discovered? 

Changbin sighed, running a hand through his hair. He finished the last few crumbs of his muffin and the last dregs of his coffee before packing up. 

He slung his backpack over his shoulder, nodding politely to the workers behind the counter as they bid him a good day. Changbin stepped out into the bleary gray world, turning on his heel to go down to the station. It would be much faster if he had his own vehicle, but Changbin had more important things that needed his hard earned paycheck. 

So, he braved the underground system of trains, standing next to the door as the robotic voice announced stop after stop. When he finally made it to the station that was in the area of where the demon was spotted, it was around noon. 

When he climbed the stairs back up to the surface, he quietly surveyed the area. The sun had decided to grace the world with its presence, flickering in and out of the light gray clouds. Since it was closer to the suburbs, it was a relatively quiet area. Few people lingered about, all going about their business for the day. 

Changbin stood there, eyes slowly closing. Like a pulse, he felt the presence of a demon, when his mind calmed and reached out. Changbin was one of few who had the gift to sense demons. It was one of the reasons why he was still a demon hunter, and why he could still be one. Despite his beliefs, of course. 

He turned to the left, carefully walking down the street. The pulse grew louder in his head as he walked. His eyes flickered back and forth, eyeing every nook and cranny on the street. With a choked gasp, he stopped just at the mouth of an alleyway. Hand on his chest, he turned and was met with white eyes glowing in the dark. 

Changbin stepped forward, and the eyes flickered away.

“Fuck!” He cursed, running after the demon that had fled down the alleyway. 

The demon was fast, and Changbin barely could keep up with it. He dodged trash bags and bins, odds and ends strewn about the alley. He swore harshly, when the alleyway opened up to a larger area. 

Changbin skidded to a stop, turning about in a circle, before a can skittering across the pavement caught his attention. Quickly his hand was unsheathing his knife, body spinning around as he made an attack, only to pause. 

Cowering in front of him was a mother demon and her child. 

Changbin felt the fight leave his body, arm lowering as he took in her dirty appearance. The mother’s eyes were disguised, most likely by her shapeshifting ability. Bright amber orbs stared back at him, body crouched and shaking. Her black hair was matted and slick, her clothes had rusty coloured patches on them. 

She held the child to her chest, who peered up curiously at Changbin. The child stared at him with his wide, bright eyes, hair black and curly. 

Changbin dropped the knife, letting it clatter to the ground. The mother demon flinched, eyes closing as she thought the worst. Slowly, Changbin backed away.

“Leave,” He whispered, voice hoarse. 

The mother demon opened her eyes slowly, confusion etched onto her face. She looked at Changbin carefully, her body slowly calming down. 

“Go! Now!” He managed to bark out, not looking at her. 

The woman did not flinch at his tone, but soon after, understanding flowed into her face. 

“Thank you,” She whispered, before turning to the child, “Come, Haneul.”

The child was picked up by the woman, who quickly pulled the hood of the child’s ratty sweatshirt over his head. Changbin didn’t move from his spot as he let the demon go with her child. He stood there, hearing their footsteps fade away. Against better judgement, he turned around. The child looked over his mother’s shoulder at him. Changbin stood frozen, watching as the child smiled at him, hand lifting in a little wave as they turned the corner. 

Changbin let out a shaky breath, eyes stinging before he composed himself. He walked out of the alley slowly. 

“The reports were false, then?” 

Changbin nodded, eyes staring straight ahead. Colonel Kim stood behind his desk, doubt in his eyes as Changbin relayed his findings. He leaned forward on his desk, hands supporting his body on the tabletop. Changbin did not flinch, eyes staring unseeingly.

“You do know the consequences of your actions if we found you to be lying, don’t you hunter?” Colonel Kim said, voice low as he spoke.

Changbin finally met eyes with Colonel Kim, a surprising hardness to his eyes. 

“There were no demons in the area,” Changbin said firmly, before speaking again, “Sir.” 

Colonel Kim’s eyes narrowed as he walked around his desk. He came to stand right in front of Changbin, who looked up at the man defiant. They stared at each other for a few moments, before Colonel Kim spoke first.

“If a demon has been set loose upon the city, hunter, I will not hesitate to put the blame all on you.” Colonel Kim snarled quietly at Changbin. 

Changbin cocked his head in response. “There were no demons, sir.”

With a resounding smack, Changbin found himself on his back. He felt the blood rushing to his head, a ringing in his ears, but he fought it. It wasn’t the first time it had happened, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. He pushed himself up into a sitting position, tasting blood on his tongue when a hand hauled him up by his collar. 

He was pushed against the wall harshly, hauled up so that his feet barely brushed the ground. Colonel Kim stared back at him, hard eyes glinting like a lion king.

“Do not take me for a  _ fool _ , Seo,” Colonel Kim hissed, hand tightening around Changbin’s neck, “Your head will not be the only thing that I will take if you keep this up!”

With those final words, Colonel Kim dropped Changbin unceremoniously to the floor. Changbin wheezed, hunched over as he tried to regain his breath. He looked up at Colonel Kim, who just fixed his cuffs nonchalantly. With a blank face he looked at Changbin. 

“You are dismissed,  _ hunter. _ ” He spat the last word out, almost as if he was disgusted by Changbin. 

Changbin weakly got to his feet, saluting Colonel Kim briefly before exiting the office. The hallway was quiet when he entered it, all who had been in the area quietly observing the office. They all stared at Changbin as he walked past them, hand unconsciously rubbing at his throat.

_ “Demon lover!” _ Someone spat as he passed by, Changbin flinching slightly at the words. 

_ “Fool will get us all killed,”  _ Someone else hissed in passing, a sneer on their face. 

Changbin continued to walk, leaving the hissing and the whispers behind him.

Changbin sighed, hand fumbling through his pocket as he looked for his keys. He pulls them out, shoving them into the brass lock. The building was almost on the edge of decrepit, the other tenants having been forced to come here because they had no other choice. The walls crumbled, the lights flickered, but for the ones who lived here, it was enough. It was shelter, and all they could afford to have. 

He pushes open the door, walking into the dimly lit entranceway. Closing the door behind him, he throws his keys onto the side table stationed there. 

“Jeongin?” He calls into the apartment. 

Immediately, footsteps rush against the wooden floors. Turning the corner at the end of the hall, a young teenager skids to a stop. The boy was slightly taller than Changbin, and had stark black hair. His eyes were fox-like, and crinkled at the corners as he soon spotted his older brother. He is dressed in a school uniform, black trousers and jacket, a simple white dress shirt and a dark blue tie hung around his neck. 

“Hyung! You’re back!” 

The boy rushes forward, careening into Changbin who welcomes him with open arms. He chuckles as the younger buries his face into his shoulder. 

“How was school, Jeongin?” Changbin asks when he finally pulls away. 

Jeongin smiles brightly, braces twinkling in the dim light.

“It was good! Seungmin and Felix walked home with me, and they stayed for a couple hours-” Jeongin happily chatted away, Changbin fondly listening to his brother’s recount of his day. 

Jeongin continues to chatter away as the pair prepare dinner. He tells stories of his day, face filled with life and excitement. Changbin listens intently, interjecting when appropriate. 

Dinner is always a warm affair, Jeongin speaks enough for the both of them. Changbin can’t help but feel happy when his brother smiles so innocent and naive, despite the whirlwind of turmoil in his chest. The relationship Changbin has with his brother is one thing he wouldn’t give up for anything in the world. Jeongin is all that he has now.

“So, did you get any demons today?” 

Changbin almost drops his chopsticks, always forever startled by the question even though Jeongin asks him every dinner. 

He puts on his best fake smile, before looking up at his little brother. 

“No, a false alarm today,” He manages to get out before continuing to eat. 

Jeongin frowns, nodding to himself before beginning to speak. 

“Okay, just don’t get hurt, okay?” Jeongin says, eyes sparkling innocently at his older brother, “Demons don’t know when to stop, when they’ve hurt someone, so be careful.”

Jeongin’s words hang heavily over Changbin’s head. They linger all throughout dinner, even when Jeongin has gone on to talk about other things, much more interested in the latest game he’s playing. 

Changbin’s lying in bed, deep in thought and self loathing. His mind won’t stop going back to the demon child from today. Their bright eyes were full of innocence, just like his little brother’s. They weren’t that much different, were they? 

Huffing, Changbin rolled onto his side, burying his face into his pillow. No matter how hard he tried though, those bright eyes appeared in his nightmares, again and again. 


	2. The Purest Demon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello hello whose ready for some heart-wrenching angst by your's truly? honestly, i was quite surprised with myself when i was writing it because it got sad real quick! (｡T ω T｡)
> 
> any who, lets dive in, shall we? more characters are introduced and slowly more secrets have become apparent!!
> 
> comments and kudos are appreciated!! ヽ(>∀<☆)ノ

There is still the unmistakable winter chill in the air, but spring has reared its bountiful head, buds already springing from the trees and ground. Changbin buries his chin into the neck of his black coat, the air still holding a biting touch to it. He has no idea what he’s doing or where he’s going, he just knows he needs a walk. 

He’s spent the majority of his day off in their dingy apartment. He was awake when Jeongin left, having been unable to sleep earlier on after the nightmares kept occurring. His brother had left with a smile and hug, wishing his older brother a good day, before departing with his friends who had come to walk to school with him. After that, Changbin had spent most of his morning lazing around the apartment. 

He’d been struggling through a bout of depression, which was normal for him. Changbin rarely felt truly happy, most times. He just waded through life, like a ghost, a shell of himself. He went through the motions, always on the edge of barely surviving. Changbin needed something to bring that spark back, to ease the turmoil in his chest, forever rumbling like thunder clouds. His mind was black and hazy, stumbling through thick smog and choking on the acidic words and rhetoric spat out by everyone else. 

It was well after lunch when he realized he couldn’t stay trapped in the tiny, dingy apartment. His mind was too cluttered and dark to stay locked away by himself on his day off. So, he got showered and dressed, and decided a walk through the city would be his best bet at getting his mind clear. 

He didn’t have a clear direction, he just stepped out of the foyer of the apartment building, chose a direction, and began to walk. He walked through suburbs, city streets, and small residential areas. In the few hours he was out, he did stop to peruse through a few small shops and for lunch. After that, he continued on his walk. 

The wind whipped across his face, causing him to bury his chin in the collar of his coat. He was in a small little residential area, which opened up into a small little street filled with local shops. Changbin slowed his pace, looking through the shop windows. He was nearing the end of the street, when a pulse rocked him to his core. He stopped, head whipping around trying to find the demon. Pedestrians along walked up and down the street unworried. 

Changbin shook his head, maybe he was feeling things? He continued to walk, shaking off the unease in his chest. Lifting his head, he stopped at the last little shop, a quaint place, which was on the corner of a street. Down the street next to it was houses, a canopy of trees lining the street and shading the area. 

Changbin stopped at the crosswalk, eyes gliding over the outdoor area next to the shop. His eyes stopped at the front window, passing over small tables of little kids. They looked to be doing handicrafts, sewing to be specific. The children were all excitedly showing off their progress to one another, as a teacher of some sorts kept an eye on them. The teacher, the one supervising them, finally came close enough for Changbin to see them clearly. 

His breath caught in his throat, as the young man, smiled a dazzling smile at a child who was proudly showing him his work. 

He was pretty, with blonde hair and honey coloured eyes. His lips were heart shaped, bottom lip plump and pink. He was wearing a soft blue knit sweater, with a white beret on his head. The young man kneeled down next to the children, his smile growing ever wider in their presence. 

Changbin was spellbound, the other’s demeanour around the children so pure and kind. He was completely lost in his daze that when his head pulsed again he jumped. Looking around wildly again, he tried to find the source. As he attuned his senses more, he felt the pull come from the shop. Slowly, he turned back around, eyes falling on the pretty boy in shock.

The boy was a demon.

Changbin felt his heart drop into his stomach, the world slowly fading out around him. He kept watching the other; there was no malice, no evil intent flowing off his body. He was kind with the children, a soft smile ever present on his face as he interacted with them. 

He stood there like an idiot, watching as the pretty teacher pouted at one of the children, the little ones all giggling at his expression. All the children seemed to have latched onto another topic, quickly forgetting about their teacher who sat crouched there. The pretty teacher then stood up, and began to walk up towards the front window. 

Changbin quickly ducked out of view, leaning against the side of the building, out of view of the children and the pretty boy. He struggled to breath. If the Imperatum were to find out, what would they do to him? The demon boy wasn’t harming anyone, from what he could tell. He was gentle with the children, smiling and gasping in awe as they showed him their work. The aura around him was so strikingly pure, he could practically  _ see  _ it. 

Changbin put his head in his hands, feeling bile well up in his throat. He couldn’t let anyone find out, he couldn't. They would not put another demon through that hell. He wouldn’t let another innocent demon’s blood stain his hands, not ever again. 

Letting out a heavy breath, he turned to look one last time through the window, and froze when he saw pretty honey coloured eyes stare back at him. Changbin felt his heart pound against his chest, frozen as the other stared at him. His eyes were full of light, a healthy blush was painted across his cheeks, lips slightly parted in surprise. Their hands were clasped against his chest, eyes flitting across his face in curiosity. 

Changbin stood stock still, for only a moment, before his body caught up to his brain and he darted down the street. He could feel his face flush in embarrassment as he slowly stopped about a block away from the store. Changbin panted, breath heavy as he tried to calm his racing heart. He looked back down the street, forlorn as he came to a thought. 

No one could ever know.

Jisung looked up, head cocking to the side as he stared out the front window. He crouched there for a brief moment, eyes dragging across the glass before landing on a man who stood there still, only to have his attention wrenched away by one of his students. 

“ _ Seonsaengnim _ , look!”

Jisung whipped his head back to look at the smiling girl sitting at the table he was crouched beside. She held up in her tiny hands a round piece of cloth, trapped in an embroidery hoop. The stitching was slightly crooked in places, the design clearly drawn by a child, but Jisung smiled brightly at the pigtailed little girl. 

“Good job, Sana!” Jisung praised her, patting her head. “It’s very pretty!” 

Sana, the little girl, giggled happily, kicking her feet underneath the table in joy. The other children at her table perked up when Jisung praised her, all raising their own pieces to Jisung. 

“What about mine,  _ seonsaengnim _ ?” A little boy asked, lips pursed in a little pout. 

Jisung smiled fondly, ruffling the boy’s hair as he looked over his design. There were little stars speckled on the cloth, the main feature being a planet with rings and a spaceship. 

“Ah! Your’s is very good too, Jihoon!” Jisung complimented the boy, who smiled brightly in return. “Everyone's is really good!”

Another little girl giggled, her hair in two braids as she shook her head. “You say that every class,  _ seonsaengnim _ !”

Jisung pouted, watching as all the children at the table broke out into fits of giggles at his expression. 

“But it's true!” Jisung whined out, his heart filling with warmth as the children all began to speak over themselves, completely forgetting about their teacher quite quickly. 

He smiled softly, getting up from his crouch and resuming his walk around the room. All the children worked happily, chatting happily with one another as they worked. Jisung loved children, humans and demons alike. He loved watching their eyes light up in wonder or amazement at learning new things, he loved their innocence and joy, their playful mannerisms and mischievous habits.

Jisung walked closer to the front window, a small frown marring his face. When he was just in front of the window, he startled as a blur of black came from the left, stopping just as abruptly as it came. He held his hands to his chest in surprise, body tensed. It was the man he had seen briefly, from a few moments ago. 

He had bright silver hair, with sharp dark brown eyes. His jaw was sharp, as were the rest of his features. He looked startled as well, but fear was also inscribed in his brown eyes. Gently, Jisung read the man’s heart. 

It was full of turmoil, but it was the brightest heart he had ever had the pleasure to read. All demons could read hearts, and see the truth inside others. This man's heart was lightness in a dark place such as this world. Jisung furrowed his brow, catching tiny glimpses of the man’s character, before the other suddenly darted down the street. 

“Ah-” He choked out, hand reaching out forlornly as he watched as the other disappeared into the crowd of people on the street.

Jisung stood at the window, a small frown marring his face as he gazed down the sidewalk. He pulled his hand back slowly, fingers curling into a small fist. It dropped to his side, swinging limply. He bit his lip, front teeth chewing on the soft, pink flesh. 

The man was a demon hunter. 

Changbin sighed, resting his head against the door of his apartment. He took deep breaths, eyes slowly closing as his mind wandered. A beautiful heart shaped smile appeared in his mind, paired with soft cherubic features and light blonde hair framing their forehead. He shook his head, leaning back from the door and pulling his jacket off. 

Walking further into the apartment, he dumped his coat on a chair and flopped onto the rough and worn couch in their tiny living room and kitchen area. He looked over to the island in the middle of the kitchen, covered in various items; cereal boxes, junk mail and bills, his worn out laptop whirring heavily, along with other mismatched items. Changbin craned his head to look at the clock behind the couch, eye looking at the ticking arms. Jeongin wouldn’t be home for another hour. 

Changbin slumped further into the patched cushions, body finally relaxing a bit as he closed his eyes. He let out a slow breath, resting his hands on his stomach gently. The ticking of the clock lulled him into light doze, the white noise of the cars passing on the street outside aiding him in his descent into sleep. 

He awoke to the sound of his brother opening the front door, a myriad of voices echoing off and through the paper-thin walls of the tiny apartment. Changbin shook his head, slowly coming too as he sat up.

“Hi hyung!” Jeongin chirped, setting his bag on one of ths tools sitting next to the island. “How was your day?”

Changbin blinked, watching as Felix and Seungmin, Jeongin’s friends made themselves comfortable at the island with Jeongin. Both Felix and Seungmin were a year older than Jeongin, but the three were surprisingly close. 

Seungmin smiled politely at him, bowing his head inn greeting. He had short, brown hair and hazel eyes. He was always a tricky one to figure out, because of his blunt nature at times. But Seungmin held an innocence in his heart that made him quite adorable at times. 

Blearily he looked over at Felix, a boy with honey blonde hair, and freckles speckled across his face. Felix, was the sweetest among the three, his elvish features not matching the velvet voice that flowed from his vocal chords. 

“Were you sleeping, Changbin-hyung?” Felix asked, brows furrowed as he looked at Changbin. “We’re sorry, it must be tiring being a hunter.”

Changbin shook his head, touched by how caring the younger boy was. 

“It's fine, Felix, honestly I get enough sleep as it is,” Changbin responded, getting up from the couch. 

He walked around the couch, and into the little kitchen. He walked over to the counter, pulling a glass from the cabinet as the boys behind him began to chatter amongst themselves. Putting the tap on, Changbin waited briefly for the water to cool a little more before filling up his glass. He’s taking a drink when his ears tune in to the conversation behind him.

“Apparently they captured another demon, a white eyed one to be exact, near the shopping district.” Seungmin said carelessly, as he thumbed through his textbook, looking for the questions they were supposed to be doing for homework. 

Changbin coughed, sputtering as he tried to swallow and breath at the same time. He hastily put his glass down, hands bracing the counter as he coughed violently. The three boys looked over at him, concern on their faces as Changbin tried to calm the storm in his chest. 

“Hyung, are you okay?” Jeongin asked quizzically, making to get up from his seat.

Changbin nodded, raising one of his hands as his heart beat returned to normal and his coughing slowed. 

“I’m fine, just, swallowed wrong, that’s all,” He rasped out, still fighting to get his head under control. 

Seungmin narrowed his eyes a little, before returning to flipping through his textbook. He continued speaking. 

“It was an older demon, a man,” Seungmin elaborated, as he finally found the page in the textbook he was looking for. “They tackled him and everything, too.”

The bland way that Seungmin said those words struck a chord, a memory in his head. 

_ “Hey! What are you doing with that child?” _

_ “Wait-! I don’t mean any harm-please listen to me!” _

_ “Shut up, filthy demon!”  _

_ Thwack! _

_ “Please, before it's too late, get out.” _

Changbin shook his head, wanting the flashes of memory to go away before another memory rammed into his hand, like a freight train. 

_ “What are you doing? That demon didn’t do anything, he was helping the child!”  _

_ “Are you defying orders, Cadet Seo?”  _

_ “No-! But the demon, the woman, she didn’t do anything-” _

_ Smack! _

_ “Let this be a lesson to you, demons are scum, no matter their intentions, so listen carefully, Cadet, you find a demon, you kill it, Got it?” _

Changbin winced, beginning to walk out of the kitchen, one hand rubbing his forehead. His head pulsed, as another memory barraged him. 

_ “Hyung! You’re home-What happened?!”  _

_ “It’s nothing, don’t worry about it, kiddo.” _

_ “But-but you’re bleeding, and your eye! Did the demons do this to you?”  _

Changbin stopped, head filling too rapidly with things he’d rather bury before he was grabbing his coat and shoes and heading out the door. The three boys sat at the island watched and Changbin went from calmly walking to the couch, before fleeing like the very devil was after him. 

“Hyung-?” Jeongin called out, only to be cut off when the door slammed shut. 

The three boys sat there in silence, all looking at one another before they spoke. 

“Is your brother alright?” Seungmin asked, a quizzical look on his face as he asked Jeongin. 

Jeongin looked at his friends, just as confused as they were before shrugging his shoulders. “I-I don’t know? I mean, he’s always been fine-Maybe he had a bad day?”

Felix nodded in understanding at the other, completely soothed by the younger’s answer. Seungmin narrowed his eyes again at the answer, before turning to his history textbook. His eyes glazed over the paragraph section on the Imperatum, curiosity brimming in his head before he continued answering the textbook questions. 

The boys worked in almost silence, helping one another out with their work. There was a pleasant silence encompassing them, until Jeongin spoke abruptly. 

“Oh yeah!” He chirped, looking up from his English homework, “When can we go over to your house, Felix? We still haven’t met your parents yet.”

Seungmin watched as slight fear crossed his friend’s eyes, before they were overtaken with embarrassment. 

“Sorry, Jeongin. My parents are really busy, they work pretty late so…” Felix trailed off in uncertainty, hand rubbing the back of his neck, “I mean, I guess you can still come over, just my parents won’t be around.” 

Jeongin, who looked disheartened by his friend’s answer, immediately brightened up at the prospect of still being able to come over to his friend’s house. Seungmin wrinkled his nose, watching as Jeongin cheered, Felix smiling placatingly at the youngest. 

“Can we come over tomorrow-?”

Jeongin is cut off quite quickly, as Felix turns from happy to panicked in a matter of seconds. 

“No!” Felix blurts out, fear laced in his answer. 

Both Seungmin and Jeongin jump at the tone of Felix’s voice. Felix looks abashed, red flooding his cheeks as he tries to quickly defend himself. 

“Sorry, not tomorrow, I-I have plans already.” Felix squeaked out, like a mouse who’d been caught in a trap. “Maybe Saturday? My parents work weekends, so you’ll be able to come then?”

Jeongin relaxed, smiling and nodding his head rapidly. Seungmin watched as Jeongin began to barrage the other with questions, Felix trying to appease the boy to no avail. Felix had always been quite secretive about his home life, neither Seungmin nor Jeongin had ever had the pleasure to meet their kind friend’s parents. Felix was quite open about himself, but when the subject of his parents came up, he’d quickly change the subject. Seungmin had never thought much about it when they were much younger, but now, he was starting to think that their friend was hiding something. 

Seungmin slowly turned back into the conversation, the other two boys now chattering rapidly about a recipe that Felix wanted to try out. Looking down at his notebook, Seungmin furrowed his brows a little. Felix having plans with people other than them? He frowned, other than them, Felix was quite popular in school. He was known amongst the student population as a nice caring sunbae, always helping the teachers and students out. But Felix really only hung out with them, so who could Felix have plans with? Just who made the other so nervous that he reduced them to a fearful mess? 

Changbin snarled, hand slamming into the brick wall of the apartment building as he cursed. The memories boiled over in his head, the voices getting louder and more menacing. 

_ Your fault, it's all your fault. _

_ They’re dead, because of you. _

_ Their blood is on you hands, coward- _

“Arrrgghh, shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” Changbin screamed, hands covering his ears as he yelled. 

The voices began to slowly peter out, hissing and whispering one last time before disappearing. Changbin huffed, leaning against the wall of the apartment building. Tears fell down his cheeks, breathing laboured as he tried to calm himself down. Slowly, he slid to the ground in the alleyway, crying bitterly as he tried to reign in his emotions. 

_ Don’t let them taint you. _

Changbin let out a shaky breath, the soft voice in his head clearing his mind and calming the hurricane let loose in his chest. He lowered his head, taking deep calming breaths before he felt his body deflate. He was tired again, fatigue settling in his bones as he let his legs lay out in front of him. Resting his head against the wall, Changbin looked up at the slowly darkening sky. The pretty hues of orange and purple mixing as the sun began to set. 

Wiping his face, he stood up on shaky legs, a hand coming to steady himself on the wall. He leaned against the cool brick for a few moments, before pushing of fit and walking back to his apartment. 

When Changbin gets back, the kitchen is empty, save for Jeongin who stands at the stove making dinner. He beams when he spots Changbin in the entrance way of the kitchen and living room. 

“Hyung!, You’re back!” Jeongin smiled happily, his braces glinting in the low light. 

Changbin weakly smiled back at his brother, before walking over and pulling him into a tight hug. Jeongin, surprised by the sudden affection, slowly wrapped his arms around Changbin in return. 

“Hyung?” Jeongin whispered, confusion in his voice. 

Changbin pulled back, shaking his head as he looked his baby brother in the eyes. 

“I’m fine Jeongin,” Changbin began, before speaking more, “I’m sorry for running out like that, I just-had a bad day, that’s all.”

Jeongin nodded slowly, assessing his older brother carefully. After giving him a quick once over, the bright smile returned to Jeongin’s face. 

“That’s okay, hyung,” Jeongin said softly, “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Changbin slowly nods his head, watching as Jeongin turns back to the stove to check on dinner. Not wanting to get in his brother’s way, Changbin takes a seat at the cluttered island in the middle of their tiny kitchen. Changbin watches as Jeongin hums to himself, the tune he recognizes as something their mother used to sing to them. 

The ache returns to his chest, but Changbin feels the beginning of something else blooming next to it.

Felix sighs, passing a hand through his hair as he closes the door to his house behind him. He locks the door, carefully checking that he’s done both the dead bolt and left the chain off. He walks further into the foyer, the stairs leading to the second floor on his right, the open door to the living room on his left. He places his keys in a bowl next to the door, setting his bag down on a little bench situated there as well. 

He walks further into the house, pausing at the table next to the stairs. A few picture frames are scattered amongst other little trinkets and bobbles. A little clay cat that Felix made when he was 7 sits next to a glass bowl full of little pink candies. His eyes fall onto a picture, lips blooming into a soft smile as he picks it ups to inspect it closer. 

Little Felix stares back at him in the centre of the picture, a woman and a man on his left and right. His hair is soft and black, still downy and feather-light. His freckles are still quite prominent in the photo, little constellations etched out on his cheeks. His smile is bright and toothy, eyes scrunched up in happiness. The woman on the left smiles beautifully down at little Felix, her silver hair glinting in the bright sunlight. She has dark brown eyes, and a mole next to her small pink lips. She’s dressed in a pretty mint blouse, and light blue jeans. The man on the right has pitch black hair, but there’s a bluish tint to it underneath the bright rays of sun. His eyes are brown as well, wide lips pulled into a giant smile, caught in mid-laugh. He’s dressed in a light blue button up and khaki slacks. 

Felix brushes his fingers against the photo, warmth filling his chest as he gazes at it. Eventually, he puts it back down in its proper place, setting it down next to the little clay cat. He looks up at the clock in the hallway, watching as the big hand moves a little. 

With a frown he turns to go up the stairs, taking each step one at a time. He heads straight to the last room at the end of the hallway on his right. The last rays of the sun filter through the curtains, hitting off the mirror in his room. He walks over to his dresser, a cork board hung up above it. His eyes pass over the pictures of his friends before kneels down. He looks under his bed, removing a little piece of the floor to reveal a box. 

He pulls the box out, sitting crossed legged on the floor between the bed and the dresser. Setting the black box covered in stars on his lap, he pulls the lid off gently and smiles when he sees the contents. Polaroid pictures galore fill the sizable box, also filled with little trinkets and papers. 

Felix moves a paper that’s covering the stack of Polaroids slightly. He giggles at the photo that's on top, before thumbing through them. Stopping, he picks up a photo almost longingly, before looking up forlorn out the window. 

The sun is setting, pinks and oranges and lilacs littering the sky. Felix looks back down at the photo, before holding it to his chest.

“One day,” He whispers to himself, “One day, we can be together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright thoughts on what felix is hiding?? or is seungmin just sus for no reason at all? also, how'd you like jisung so far?? honestly he might be even softer than prince jisung in milky way tears! (◕‿◕)♡ 
> 
> thank you for reading, and here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/f1nnsfables) and [cc](https://curiouscat.me/Finnoola)!! come say hi!!! 
> 
> Have a good night, day or evening, and seeya next time!! love you all, finn out!! (･ω<)☆


	3. Blood Rubies and Regal Sapphires

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello hello, it is i, finn here! welcome to the long-awaited chapter 3!!! Some new faces are introduced, and some new subplots are being weaved together! (･ω<)☆
> 
> kudos and comments are appreciated!!! <3

The demon huffed, rolling his bright red eyes as he stood above a trembling form. Thin, black horns poked out of his brown hair, metallic red veins flowing throughout them. He wore a black leather jacket and t-shirt. He had his hands stuck in his jeans pocket, a laced leather boot stomping onto the person’s head. A broken cry spilled from the person’s lips, blood staining their teeth as they struggled against the boot squishing their cheek into the rough pavement. 

Two other red eyed demons also held the person down, unable to break free from their inhuman strength. The standing demon cocked his head to the side, before leaning down, pushing his boot harder onto the other’s head. 

“Now, I’m only going to ask this once more,” The demon said, watching as the man whimpered in fear at the glowing red eyes peering down at him, “Where is Azazel’s money?” 

“I-I don’t know man, the boss told me that-” He broke off when the demon kicked his foot back and hit him in the head. 

“I said-” The demon said, baring sharp teeth, crouching down and pulling the other’s head up by their hair roughly, “Where. Is. Azazel’s. Money?” 

He punctuated each word with a rough flick of his hand which caused the human’s head to bang against the pavement. The human laid there with a groan, blooding spilling from a wound in his forehead now. The demon sniffed, disappointed by the human’s lack of pain tolerance. Standing up, he kicked the other in the stomach one last time before turning on his heel. 

“Kill him, he’s of no use to me.” The demon said nonchalant, a cigarette now hanging from his lips. 

“But-But sir-?” 

The demon whipped around, eyes narrowing as the two lower red eyed demons cowered in fear at the magnitude of power emanating from him. His bright red eyes flashed, looking as if burning embers were his pupils. A shadow seemed to grow out from his form, haunting and menacing as the two other lesser red eyed demons trembled. 

“What?” He hissed at them, one hand rising to his unlit cigarette. “Are you scared of a few demon hunters?” 

The two began to rapidly shake their heads. “N-No sir! We’ll get rid of him right away, sir!”

The demon rolled his eyes as the two bowed at him before closing in on the human on the ground. He stood there, snapping his fingers and watching as a flame danced on his thumb. He brought the flame to the butt of the cigarette, listening content to the anguished screams of the human a few feet away from him. 

With one more bored look at the mess the other two were making, he walked out of the warehouse. As he walked, he took a drag of his cigarette, coming to stand just a little ways behind another figure, standing at the edge of the pavement near the river. A black car sat parked beside the man, two other men, supposedly demons as well, were dressed in suits with black shades and stood close by. 

“Got nothing, the human wasn’t smart enough to listen to his superior after all,” He said, flicking some ash away from his cigarette. 

The man chuckled, shaking his head slowly. 

“No I wouldn’t have thought so, Minho.”

The demon, Minho, looked up at the man. The man slowly turned around, showcasing fully red eyes, all the way to the whites of the eyes. His pupils were slitted, yellow rimmed around where the iris would be. He was handsome, with a sharp chin and high cheekbones. His black hair was perfectly coiffed and styled, a few strands fluttering in the wind.

Minho took the cigarette from his mouth, smoke billowing from his lips. 

“What now?” Minho asked, eyes regarding his boss.

The man smiled an eerie smile, before speaking. 

“I guess we just have to kill the rest of them to find my money, then.” 

Minho snorted, a wiry smile appearing on his lips as his boss, took a few steps to the car. One of the demons in suits opened the door for him, murmuring a small, “Here, Lord Azazel.”

Minho watched as the other demon in a suit hopped into the driver’s seat, quickly inserting the key and starting the car. The second demon closed the passenger door, before rounding the car and getting in the front seat. When settled the car began to pull away, before it stopped beside Minho. The backseat window rolled down, Azazel smiling wickedly at him. 

“Tell me when you’ve found the rest of the rats, will you?” Azazel asked, almost excited at the thought of more blood being spilled in his name. 

Minho’s lips quirked up into a smirk before he responded. 

“Will do, boss.” He said, mock saluting the demon before Azazel closed the window and the car drove off. 

Minho watched until the car pulled out of the docks, disappearing after turning a corner. He stood there for a moment, cigarette burning out before he took one more drag from it and stamping it out on the ground. He begins to walk off, heading straight for a black and red accented motorcycle.

Swinging his leg over the bike, he disguised his horns and eyes. He pulled a helmet over his head, securing it before, kicking the kickstand and revving the motorcycle. Minho slowly pushed his feet off the ground, before zooming down the pavement and out of the docks. 

Changbin tried not to groan, as he sat at a cafe. A cafe which was directly across the street from the shop which held the blonde demon he found just a day prior. Head in his hands he wondered what had possessed him to come back here and seek out the blonde demon. Was it guilt? Fear? Worry? 

Changbin lifted his head up at that. He shook his head trying to clear his mind, before resting his arm on the table and looking out the large cafe window. Logically, Changbin shouldn’t be able to even see the other, which was true, as all he could see was the glare of the reflection of the people and cars that passed by on the little shop window. His coffee and muffin sat untouched in front of him, as he tried to figure out why he was doing this in the first place. 

After telling himself that the demon hadn’t seen him through the shop window, (another lie told by himself to stop the pitiful fluttering of his heart in his chest when the demon had set such pretty eyes on him), he concluded that he had just wanted to make sure that the other was safe. So, he sat there, slowly drinking his coffee and nibbling away at his cranberry muffin. It was quiet in the cafe, the white noise of the other few patrons creating a peaceful atmosphere. 

Changbin sighed, finishing the last few dregs of his coffee, when he noticed movement from the front door of the shop. He watched, as parents came and collected their children, the blonde demon standing at the doorstep with a beautiful smile on his face. He conversed with each parent with joy, a bright smile lighting up his face as he bowed in thanks at whatever compliment they had given him. While he watched as the blonde demon bid goodbye to each little child with a warm smile, and little wave, he belatedly realized that he was  _ smiling _ . 

He shook his head, cleaning up his mess from the table, before dumping them in the trash can. Quickly he exited the cafe, unknown of the careful and watchful eyes on him. 

“Bye-bye,  _ seonsaengnim _ !” 

Jisung giggled, waving at the last of his students with a bright grin on his face. He stood there for a few moments, a gentle expression on his face before his eyes slowly moved towards the cafe across the street. A figure quickly exited the cafe, his black coat flapping about him as he hurried down the street. 

Jisung pouted, arms crossing against his chest as he watched the demon hunter blend into the crowd. He turned, going back into his shop. Closing the door behind him, he leaned against it briefly, a little sigh flowing from his lips until a voice broke him out of his reverie. 

“I don’t trust him.”

He jumped, hand coming up to his chest as he noticed his friend leaning against the far wall. Calming down, he frowned at him before speaking. 

“Hyunjin, you gotta stop doing that!” Jisung huffed petulant, as Hyunjin raised an eyebrow at him. 

Hyunjin, a demon with shoulder length blonde hair tied back into a ponytail with a black ribbon, pushed off the wall and began to walk around the room. His midnight blue eyes glinted in the low light, his lips were pulled into a grimace as he regarded the shop. 

“You have to be careful, Jisung,” Hyunjin said, stopping at one of the tables, looking down at a painting that was still drying, “There is one thing all demon hunters have in common, and it's that they’re cold blooded killers.”

Jisung frowned at his best friend's words. He meandered over to a table and began to clean up. When Jisung didn’t respond, Hyunjin whirled around from looking at the child’s painting. 

“Jisung!” 

Jisung sighs, looking up and holding onto a couple jars of paint. 

“But his heart, was so kind,” Jisung mumbled, finger tracing the lid of a jar of paint. 

Hyunjin rolled his eyes. Snorting at the look on Jisung’s face. 

“You just think he’s handsome.”

Jisung blushed a violent red, the tips of his ears and the back of his neck turning the colour as well. He whirled around and began to clean up quickly as he spoke out. 

“I think,” Jisung began, picking up as many jars as he could, “That not all humans are bad like you think, Jinnie.”

Jisung began to put the paint back in the cabinets and shelves around the room, Hyunjin following him. There was fire in his eyes. Jisung turned around, only to be cornered into the cabinet by his friend. 

“Jisung, the humans want us dead, they want us extinct!” Hyunjin bit out, voice hard. “They don’t care if you want to teach children, or fall in love or whatever! They just want you  _ dead _ .”

Jisung frowned, eyes looking down sadly. Hyunjin winced, watching as Jisung deflated at his words, his friend's eyes becoming dull. 

“Jisung,” Hyunjin said softly, watching as Jisung looked up at him.

Hyunjin smiled weakly, “I just don’t want them to hurt you, they wouldn’t understand.”

Jisung nodded, hands wringing together as he thought. Hyunjin watched as the same innocence that’s always been in his friend’s eyes reappear. 

“But what if you’re wrong, about this human?” Jisung asked quietly. 

Hyunjin sighed, running a hand through the loose strands of his hair, not gathered in the ponytail. He looked down at the ground before letting out a heavy sigh. 

“I can’t believe I'm going to say this,” He muttered to himself before looking into Jisung’s eyes, “You can befriend the human demon hunter.”

Jisung’s eyes lit up, hands clasped together in joy at the words. 

“But!” Hyunjin continued, watching as a pout formed on Jisung lips before he shook his head fondly, “I need to be in the immediate vicinity, when you’re around him, if his heart is as pure as you say, then-”

“Then?” Jisung asked excitedly, the joy back in his face, eyes twinkling as Hyunjin deflated in defeat. 

“Then you can start hanging around him by yourself.” 

Jisung cheered, jumping happily before wrapping his arms around Hyunjin. 

“Thank you thank you thank you, Jinnie!” Jisung crowed, burying his head into his friend’s neck joyfully. 

Hyunjin sputtered at the sudden affection from his energetic friend, before he sighed out fondly, and returned the hug. 

“You’re welcome, Jisung.”

Changbin banged his head against the mirror gently, looking down at the water flowing from the tap. He braced his hands against the sink, before sighing out. He took his hands and splashed some water on his face, before rubbing at his eyes. Again, the little blonde demon was blissfully unaware of his presence, happily teaching the children whatever craft they were doing today. 

“Fuck,” Changbin hissed, hands still rubbing at his eyes. 

He pulled his hands away, leaning against the sink before turning the tap off. Grabbing a towel he wiped his face and dried his hands before throwing it back onto the rack beside the sink. Exiting the bathroom, he slowly crossed the hall into his bedroom. His bedroom was on the outside of the building, connected to the fire escape. The room wasn’t big, but it wasn’t small either. It was a perfect size. It was cluttered with stuff from his teenage years, stuff that he hadn’t had the heart to get rid of, stuff that still held her memory. 

Changbin sat down on his unmade bed, arms resting on his legs as he looked around the clean, but disorganized room. The curtain behind him fluttered a bit, the window to the fire escape open a little to let some fresh air in. His closet door was open, his uniform coat and shirts hanging up. A brown dresser drawer stood beside the closet, one of the drawers pulled open, some of the clothes spilling out from it. Two little bedside tables sat on either side of his bed, a lamp on one with a tissue box. The other one held a couple of picture frames, one of them knocked over and facing down. 

Changbin looked across from himself, looking at the bookshelves cluttered with books of all kinds, a few action figures still sitting in their spots. Dust coated them, as they haven't been moved since he was 15. More picture frames holding photos littered some of the emptier shelves. 

Quickly, he looked down at his hands, clenching and unclenching them, watching the muscles and the veins move. He turned one hand around, examining it, almost as if he was surprised by it. 

Finally he dropped his hand, before falling back on his bed. He stared up at the ceiling fan, eyes tracing the thin lines in the drywall of the ceiling. Changbin rolled over onto his side curling up a bit. He stared listlessly at his pillows, one arm splayed out before him. Gently, he closed his eyes, wanting the world to go away just for a moment. 

He awoke to the sound of movement in the kitchen. Light flooded the small hallway, and filtered into his dark room. He slowly pushed himself up, running a hand through his hair. He sat there for a moment, listening to the quiet mumbling of his brother talking to his friends. 

Slowly, he stood up, and wandered out of his room. He appeared at the hallway, met with only Seungmin and Jeongin at the island. Furrowing his brows, Changbin cleared his throat. 

“Where’s Felix?” His voice was rough from misuse, both boys perking up when they heard him. 

Jeongin brightened up when he saw him, Seungmin raising an eyebrow at him curiously before answering him. 

“Felix had plans, couldn't come today.” Seungmin said nonchalantly. 

Changbin raised his eyebrow back at Seungmin, who seemed too unconcerned by his friend’s absence to be normal. Nodding his head, he walked over to them, passing behind them and to the sink. He filled a glass with water, hoping that both teenagers would decide not to say anything slightly shocking as he filled it. Both conversed with the other quietly, almost as if they were catching on finally to Changbin’s unhinged mental state. 

After taking a sip of his water, he exited the little kitchen and went back to his room. He didn’t feel like socializing, the trip to the cafe already having taken up so much of his energy that he just felt empty. 

Seungmin and Jeongin watch him leave, the former slightly suspicious, while the later watches on concerned for his older brother. Seungmin turns back around in his seat, fixing Jeongin with a look. 

“Something is definitely up with your brother,” Seungmin stated, watching as Jeongin looked at his friend concerned. “Are you sure that nothing strange has been going on with him?”

Jeongin made a weak shrug. “I-I don’t know? I mean, I only see him in the mornings before school and after school. He works weekends, and his days off are Thursday and Friday, so not much time to observe him, really.”

Seungmin hummed, looking down at the notebook he had recently bought. He scribbled a few things down before closing it and returning to his homework. Jeongin stared at his friend quizzically. 

“Are you sure you’re not the one acting strange?”

Seungmin looked up from his workbook, fixing Jeongin with a disbelieving look. He sighed, putting his pencil down and leaning back, arms crossed over his chest. 

“Look, your brother and Felix are both acting weird, hell, I think your brother’s been acting weird the same amount of time as Felix has been, it’s just something has made it more prominent to us now.” Seungmin told him, watching as Jeongin scrunched his face up in confusion. 

Seungmin rolled his eyes at his friend's look before explaining further. 

“Don’t you find it weird that Felix never talks about his parents, or that we’ve never seen them? Isn't it weird how your brother barely talks about work or changes the subject when it's about demons? Isn’t it weird that this all started when your brother became a hunter after your mother-” 

Seungmin is cut off from Jeongin closing his book rather loudly. He gives Seungmin a tired look, eyes full of sadness. Seungmin snaps his mouth shut, watching as Jeongin stares down at his book. 

“I’m sorry, Jeongin, I didn’t mean-” 

Jeongin smiles sadly at Seungmin as he shakes his head. “It’s okay, Minnie, you didn’t mean it. Maybe you should go home? It’s getting kinda late.”

Seungmin felt shame well up in his throat as Jeongin looked to the side, eyes staring blankly at a picture frame on a shelf in the living room. Jerkily he nods his head, gathering his things and throwing them in his book bag. He stands up, hesitating briefly before speaking.

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning, yeah?” Seungmin murmurs, looking at Jeongin. 

Jeongin doesn’t say anything, he just nods his head, doesn’t even look at Seungmin who stares at his friend one last time before he leaves. 

The door closes, and Jeongin is alone again. 

Felix sits in his room at his desk, writing furiously away as he tries to finish his homework before 8. It's already nearing the time, and he spent way too much time fretting over his appearance for hours than getting started on the work he had. He groans, leaning back in his chair as he ruffles his hair in frustration, only to pause and quickly smooth it down.

He jumps, when a little tapping comes from his window. He turns in his chair to the window, a bright smile spreading on his lips as he catches sight of the person perched carefully on the ledge. Felix gets up hurriedly, unlocking the window and pushing the glass up. Taking a few steps back, he allows the other to maneuver himself deftly into the room, landing on his feet in a little crouch before Felix. 

Felix smiles even wider, before speaking. 

“Hi hyung,” He breathes out watching as the other stands up, stretching in the process. 

“I’m getting too old for this,” The person mutters, eliciting a bright giggle from Felix. 

“Hyung, you’re like, 23, stop saying you're old.” Felix says with a mirthful grin, eyes twinkling as he takes in the other’s appearance. 

The man, who directs his attention to Felix, smiles a wide smile, dimples poking out from the corners of his mouth. His hair is a dark brown, slightly curly, and a little on the unruly side. Bright, sapphire eyes stare back at him, twinkling happily at the sight of the younger. He’s wearing all black, from his scruffy hoodie to the ripped jeans and sneakers he’s wearing. A thin silver chain hangs around his neck and a few rings adorn his fingers. 

He lifts a hand, gently patting Felix’s head in greeting. Felix cuts the action short by diving straight into the man, practically glomping him. The man lets out a breathless laugh, endeared by the action so. He also wraps his arms tightly around the younger, returning the hug with as much vigour. 

“Missed you, Chan-hyung,” Felix says, muffled by the fabric of the other’s hoodie. 

He buries his face into the other’s neck, completely content with just being held so tightly and securely

“It’s only been a week, but I missed you too, Pixie,” Chan says fondly, rubbing his hand up and down the younger’s back. 

After their heartfelt greeting, both find themselves sitting against the headboard of Felix’s bed, the older laughing as he takes a bite out of some brownies that Felix had made.

“So, he just let it happen?” He asks, struggling to swallow and not choke as Felix told him a very elaborate story about an incident concerning Felix’s father a couple days ago. 

Felix nodded his head, also laughing as he told the story. 

“It was so funny, because he just gave up when the sprinklers turned on and just let himself get soaked.” 

The pair devolve into a fit of giggles, Felix laughing so hard he fell into the older. Chan smiles down at the laughing boy, who looks up at him with so much light in his eyes it hurts. Felix blushes, noticing the intense stare from Chan. He covers his face, giggling as Chan moves so that his face is closer, making an awfully dorky expression as he does so. Felix laughs, making to push the other’s face away only to find that Chan has sneaked his fingers against his sides. 

Felix lets out a surprised laugh, as Chan tickles him, Felix squirming on the bed as he tries to get away. Unfortunately, Felix is no match for Chan’s strength, and chokes out through breathless giggles pleas for him to stop. 

“H-Hyung-S-stop-!” Felix manages to gasp out, his own hands trying to stop Chan’s.

Chan just smiled in response, before relenting. His hands rested on the heaving boy’s waist, admiring the blissful smile on his lips. Smiling still, Chan rested his forehead on Felix’s own. 

“I’m glad I got to see you today, Pixie.” Chan murmured, watching as Felix’s smile turned into a slight frown. 

“Hyung?” Felix whispered, his voice timid and soft. 

Worry and fear were swirling about in his brown orbs, but Chan just shook his head softly, blue eyes glinting. 

“It’s nothing, Felix,” Chan said, reassuring him softly, “I’m just happy to see you.”

Felix’s face softened, understanding in his eyes as he pulled the other into a hug. 

“Me too, hyung,” Felix murmured, fingers clutching at the back of Chan’s black hoodie fiercely, “Me too.” 

Seungmin huffed, kicking a stray rock as he walked. He buried his face into his scarf, angry at himself for bringing it up in the first place. Jeongin had lied when he said that it was getting dark outside. It was only 4 o’clock, and the clouds hanging in the sky were a dull gray. He adjusted his book bag over his shoulder, passing by other students who were still hanging out after school. 

He continued to walk slowly, head down as he walked along the sidewalk of the street. Seungmin didn’t really want to go home yet, not to an empty house with distant echoes of yelling and acrid bitterness. So he continued to walk, deep in thought until the thoughts were knocked straight out of him. 

Seungmin yelped, landing on his butt onto the cold pavement. He shook his head, anger flooding his veins as he glared up at the man who had walked into him. 

“Hey!” He snapped out, eyes burning as the other looked down at him amused. “What the hell’s your problem?”

The man chuckled, rolling his eyes, a large smirk present on his lips. Leaning down so that he was level with the other, the brown haired man spoke. 

“Aw, is puppy angry?” The young man mock cooed, hands in his jacket pockets. 

Seungmin gaped, flushing as the other threw him another teasing smirk. The man snorted, leaning back up and looking back down at the teenager.

“Hey, if I remember correctly, you weren’t exactly paying any attention to your surroundings, which means, you walked into me, alright pup?” The man said, flicking a lighter open and taking a cigarette out from his back pocket. 

Seungmin bristled, standing up and glowering at the brunette. The young man only snorted again, before taking a drag from his cigarette. He raised his free hand and ruffled Seungmin’s hair. Seungmin yelped again, taking a step back from the young man who just cooed at him annoyingly again. 

“Aww, you really are like a puppy, aren't cha?” The man said with a large grin adorning his face.

Seungmin flushed, from anger or embarrassment he wasn’t quite sure. 

“You-” He couldn’t get the words out quick enough before the other man was right up in his face. 

Seungmin blinked, mouth opening and closing quickly as he watched the other’s dark eyes study him. He watched as the other cocked his head to the side, an almost feline twist to his movements. Seungmin didn’t dare breath, not until the other pulled back and smiled at him cheekily as he took a drag from his cigarette. 

“You’re not half bad to look at,” The young man said, his grin widening at the enraged flush that covered the apples of Seungmin’s cheeks. 

Seungmin was about to open his mouth to retort when someone interrupted them. 

“Hey! Is everything okay here?” 

Seungmin looked over to see a demon hunter walk over, a tall and very sturdy looking man. His face was set in a permanent frown. Seungmin breathed a sigh of relief only to have the wind knocked out of him again. Abruptly, he was pulled against the brunette’s side, arm slung around his waist almost possessively. 

Unable to catch his breath and protest in time, he watched as the brunette man smoothly talked his way out of a confrontation with the demon hunter. 

“There seem to be a problem, hunter?” The brunette man asked, voice even. 

The demon hunter raised one thick brow, eyeing Seungmin beside him whose face had gone bright red from the contact with the other. He regarded them for a second before speaking. 

“I heard shouting, and was wondering if there was anything I could do to help?” The demon hunter said it like a question unsure if he should interfere with the situation now. 

The brunette smiled. “Nothing wrong here, just a little quarrel between lovers is all.” 

Seungmin let out a little squeak as he heard the words falling nonchalantly from the brunette’s lips. He felt more heat rise to his cheeks, eyes briefly looking up at the demon hunter.

The demon hunter seemed appeased by the answer, taking the embarrassment on Seungmin’s face as shyness instead. He nodded, before turning to walk away. Seungmin almost let out a sigh of relief until the demon hunter turned around again and spoke. 

The demon hunter narrowed his eyes at the brunette. “Shouldn’t you be in school?”

“I just graduated, was taking my boyfriend home from school,” The brunette lied smoothly, watching as the demon hunter seemed to take the bait. 

“I see, well as long as there’s nothing serious going on, I’ll be leaving.” The demon hunter said, nodding his head in farewell before looking at Seungmin.

“Try to get him to stop smoking, would ya? It's a dirty habit.” The demon hunter muttered good naturedly at Seungmin. 

Gulping, Seungmin nodded. “Y-Yeah, I will.” 

His voice was weak, watching as the demon hunter nodded, giving him a small smile before walking off. The pair both watched as he left, waiting until he turned the corner before Seungmin finally pushed the other off him. A furious blush painted his cheeks as he glared at the other.

“What was that about?!” He asked, still trying to catch his breath and will the red away from his cheeks.

The brunette man snorted, obviously amused by Seungmin’s flustered state. 

“What? You think a demon hunter is really so virtuous?” The brunette man said as smoke flowed from his lips. 

He walked closer to Seungmin, who froze when the other got right up in his face. The brunette narrowed his eyes, before speaking. 

“A demon hunter helps no one but themselves, not even those who ask for it,” He hissed.

The way the brunette’s eyes seemed to lose the playful glint that seemed to be etched in them caused Seungmin to gulp. Just as quickly as the man’s eyes had hardened, it just as quickly went away, the playful glint returning as a smile appeared back on the brunette’s face. He chuckled, taking another drag from his cigarette, before stamping it out on the sidewalk. 

“Anyways, it was fun playing with you, pup,” The brunette said before beginning to walk off. 

Seungmin fumed at the nickname, as he whirled around to watch the man leave.    
“I have a name you know!” He shouted after the brunette, watching as he only lifted his hand in farewell. 

Seungmin huffed, nerves frazzled and emotions on hyper-drive. He grumbled, picking up his discarded book bag off the ground. Slinging the bag over his shoulder, he looked down the sidewalk, watching as the form of the brunette slowly disappeared from view. In a moment of weakness, Seungmin stuck his tongue out at the other’s fading back before whirling on his heel and heading straight home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for being patient with me, i've recently taken a break from college to focus on my mental health! Hopefully, that will give me more time to focus on my mental health which is my top priority right now. I'll try to keep a schedule, so that i have some kind of goal and in mind. maybe a chapter every month? who knows! i'll let you know on my twitter!
> 
> i hope you like this chapter so far, i know a lot is jammed into this one but it didn't feel right without all these scenes!
> 
> tell me which scene you liked the most down in the comments, in my [cc](https://curiouscat.me/Finnoola), or come drop by my [twitter](https://twitter.com/f1nnsfables)!
> 
> have a good day, evening, or night!! love you all and seeya next time!! ♡ ～('▽^人)

**Author's Note:**

> how was the first chapter? pls leave a comment down below if you liked it so far! this chapter is a bit short, but i promise the next chapter will be a little longer!!! 
> 
> anyways, here's my [cc](https://curiouscat.me/Finnoola) and my [twitter](https://twitter.com/f1nnsfables), come stop by if you haven't already! 
> 
> love you all so mUCH, and have a good day, evening, or night! seeya next time!!!


End file.
